Seoul urges Russia to stop 'self-contradictory' arms deal with NK
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, talks to South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin during the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Phnom Penh on Aug. 5, 2022. AFP-Yonhap
South Korea renewed its call Friday for Russia to stop arms transactions with North Korea in violation of international sanctions it has voted for, as the United States revealed the North's delivery of ballistic missiles and other equipment to Moscow.
The White House said Thursday (local time) the North recently provided Russia with several dozen ballistic missiles and ballistic missile launchers, some of which Moscow used in its latest attacks on Ukraine as early as Tuesday.
"It is self-contradictory for Russia, a party to the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) sanctions resolutions against North Korea, to receive North Korean weapons and use them in the war in Ukraine," a foreign ministry official said.
"We once again strongly urge an immediate stop to this," the official said.
In close cooperation with the U.S., South Korea has been closely watching any developments in the military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, including the White House's announcement on the weapons provision, the official said.
The government will work closely with the international community, including the U.S. and Japan, to strictly deal with the issue, the official added, saying such arms deals are an act that threatens peace and security around the world beyond the Korean Peninsula, the official added.
South Korea and the U.S. are expected to raise the issue with the UNSC at an upcoming meeting next Wednesday (local time).
"As a newly elected member of the U.N. Security Council, we plan to strongly condemn the sanctions violations committed by North Korea and Russia at the upcoming UNSC meeting," the official said.
South Korea began its two-year term as a nonpermanent UNSC member this month.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield lambasted the North and Russia for "blatantly" violating the sanctions banning any trades of arms and related materials with the North or procurement from it.
The U.S. and its allies believe Pyongyang is seeking military assistance from Moscow, such as technical assistance for advanced weapons, in return for its arms support. (Yonhap)